Floods Wreak Havoc In Lake Superior Zoo

DULUTH (WCCO) — Several animals escaped from their cages and nearly a dozen drowned at the Lake Superior Zoo in Duluth due to flooding.

It’s a sad and stressful day at the zoo Wednesday. Water from the Kingsbury Creek rose so sharply overnight that the water filled up the polar bear exhibit and left two-thirds of the zoo covered in water.

Zoo officials reported that several barnyard animals have died in the flooding, including birds, six sheep, four goats and one donkey. A polar bear also escaped from its enclosure, but it was tranquilized and returned.

As of about 6:30 a.m., zoo officials said all big-game animals have been accounted for.

Officials said two seals, Feisty and Vivian, escaped their exhibit at about 3 a.m. after Kingsbury Creek, which runs through the exhibit overflowed the more than 10-foot wall that normally keeps the seals in. The seals were eventually recovered and brought back to the exhibit.